SelfServing
by NakanoHana
Summary: Axel is a spoiled brat son of a lord who grudgingly gets a new servant. akuroku


"My son, I would like you to meet Roxas. He will be your new servant as of today."

Axel eyed the newcomer with bored disdain, head resting lazily on his arm in the too large but thoroughly comfortable red chair. He had been encouraged to stand when his father entered the room, but of course, the spoiled young lord couldn't be bothered to show the respect. Their family was exceedingly wealthy, but certainly not royalty. He never understood why he should have to be so on edge every time his father entered the room.

The boy before him was a pale blonde, and looked a full year younger than him, if not two. He was dressed in plain clothes, though they were the house colors, green and gold. Blue eyes were practically beaming at him from that face, entirely too eager for someone coming to clean up after him.

Something was off about this kid, and he didn't like it.

"I understand," the redhead answered with a touch of annoyance. He cast his irritated glance away, picking up the book he had previously discarded. "If that is all, I would like to return to my studies."

Despite his rudeness, his father smiled. "Of course. By all means. Now that you have been introduced," He gave Roxas a kind smile and clasped his shoulder, before turning to leave, "I shall return to my work. I will await you for supper at five o'clock sharp."

"Fine," Axel said with a roll of his eyes. He knew he was being told this because he was purposefully late every time. Luckily, his father was already gone, so he did not get to harass him for the gesture.

Flipping his book back open to the saved page, he raised his eyes irritably to find the servant boy still standing there, watching him, that same eager smile that annoyed him so still on his face.

"Do you have something to say to me?"

The boy jumped a little, almost as though he had been daydreaming. "Oh! No, young master!" he responded with practiced fluency. Most commoners in the kingdom had a thick accent that made vowel and certain consonants almost impossible to say. He assumed the boy was lower class, anyway. "I was...uh...merely wondering if you had something you would like me to do?"

The words were unsure, but the smile never faded. Axel let his scowl be seen. "Did I say I had work for you?"

Blue eyes blinked. "Well, no, but I-"

"Then I have no need. Perhaps, if you are so worried about being busy, you could offer to help out in the kitchens or the stables."

A pause. Uncertain, the blonde shook his head. "I was given to you, young master. To serve only you."

Axel wanted to smack him something awful, but he refrained. Instead, with a heavy sigh, he huffed, "Well then, perhaps you should find a seat and wait until I have something for you."

"Oh! Of course, sir!" Roxas stumbled forward slightly and knelt beside his chair. The young lord's eye twitched.

"Not there, you idiot! Go find a chair or something!" He turned back to his book, muttering about how stupid this boy was. Most servants he had had before were trained in the household, so they knew what to do and how to react around the manor. This servant seemed to be the exception, though, as Axel had never seen him before and every other servant here knew that they were allowed a chair to rest in while they were not on duty.

The blonde scrambled up and toward the door. "I understand, sir! I'll be right back!" It closed with a soft thud, and then he was gone.

Scowling back into the dusty pages of his book, Axel fumed. Was this some kind of joke? Was his father trying to get back at him for his most recent behavior? He hardly imagined the man would do something like this, just for that. Hiring a little boy, when all his previous servants had been middle to old-aged. One who was inexperienced and stupid, who could teach him nothing. Axel began to think the only use he could make of the boy was yelling at him.

But then again, that wasn't a bad idea. His lips curled up in wicked smile, as he thought of the opportunity he'd been given. Someone weaker than him, who he could order around and torment to his heart's content. Maybe that was why his father had given him the boy; to lessen his pranks on the man and his staff. His father was always busy, unlike Axel himself, and being so bored, he often found mischievous, and sometimes even destructive ways to make up for his ire.

Very well. He would play along, for now. But by the time the month was out, he would have Roxas packing, begging to nullify his contract. After all, his previous servants had never remained with him long before. Only a year or two at most.

Axel was a brat, and fiercely proud of it.

... ... ...

"Make my bed."

"Yes, young master!" The boy scurried over and pulled aside the green curtains, instantly going to work making the bed. He pulled the sheets up and folded them back a bit, then pulled up the quilt. He meticulously tucked in the corners and fluffed the pillows, laying them each at the head of the bed gently. And, to Axel's mild annoyance, he smiled the whole time. Even hummed to himself as he worked. The boy was a perky little thing, that was for sure.

It was thoroughly disgusting.

The blonde had barely taken a step back from the bed before Axel launched forward, throwing himself on it with a sigh. He stretched and groaned, smirking at the confused look on the other boy's face.

"That feels much better," he said. Then his face contorted into a serious frown. "I feel some lumps here. You neglected here" Pointing to the side he had just messed up, he saw Roxas's eyes widen before the boy bowed a few times.

"Please forgive me, sir! I promise I'll do better next time!"

"Hmmmph." Other than mild look of disappointment and the delicate flush to his cheeks, the servant seemed to quickly return to his cheerful mood. Axel huffed, blowing a piece of hair out of his eyes. He was having trouble breaking this one, no matter what he commanded him to do. All that seemed to penetrate that smiling exterior were his words, so maybe that was where he needed to focus. Still...

"You had better. Now go and clean the bathroom."

A nod, and a warm smile accompanied his answer. "Of course, young master. Thank you."

With that, he was off again. And while Axel was tempted to go back to his work, he wanted to see how far that cheerful exterior would go. Surely the boy cursed him as soon as he was out of sight. Perhaps he would even go so far as to spite his master, to spit in his food or bring some slimy creature from the gardens back to place in his bed. Axel's imagination was limitless.

So very slowly, quietly, he slid off the bed, and followed his too compliant servant, tiptoeing in soft, green slippers. He hid behind the corners of the walls, watching as the servant kept going, humming to himself as he hurried to his task. He entered the room used frequently by the maids, approaching the woman in charge with hands playing lightly together behind his back.

After a short exchange of greeting pleasantries, the blonde spoke up. "Miss Aerith, I need some cleaning supplies please."

The woman looked back up from her dusting, surprised. She chuckled softly, reaching over to pat his head. "Oh, Roxas! you needn't worry about that. The girls and I will keep the manor clean. You're only job is to serve Master Axel."

The blonde smiled helplessly, accepting the gesture. But again, he spoke, more firmly this time. "I understand, but the young master has given me the task of cleaning his bathroom. I wish to do as he asks, and have it done as soon as possible."

The maid frowned a little, but soon agreed, leading him to the closet nearby where the supplies were kept. He took the mop and broom in each hand, letting the bucket dangle over his shoulder. "Thank you kindly, ma'am."

"It's no trouble at all." Then she paused, touching his shoulder. "Roxas, I-"

"Good day, Aerith. Roxas."

The two servants bowed as the lord entered the room, and Aerith politely excused herself from his presence soon after. Roxas moved as if to follow, but before he could leave, Axel saw a familiar heavy hand fall upon his shoulder.

"A moment, Roxas. I wish to speak with you." As curious eyes raised to meet his, the man smiled warmly. "I have been meaning to see you all day. Forgive me for taking so long."

The boy bowed. "Not at all, sir. I understand that your work is more important."

"Has Axel been civil to you?"

"Yes, sir. He has had me busy all this morning."

Axel heard his father chuckle, ruffling the boy's hair in an almost loving gesture. "Good, good! Just what I wanted to hear!" Then, after he composed himself, the man said, more seriously, "You will tell me if he is too harsh with you. You needn't fear of losing your place here, I assure you. Not for him. My son has yet to learn that respect is earned, not given. If he steps out of line-"

"He hasn't, sir." Axel was struck by how quickly the boy had defended him. Huh. True, the servant hadn't been here longer than a week, but the young lord had stepped up his demands and torment a bit since the boy had first arrived. There was no way Roxas couldn't have noticed. He must have been planning something as well. "He has been nothing if not kind."

Axel saw his father blink, and felt a flare of resentment at that. He still no faith in his only child, though admittedly, Axel supposed the suspicion was warranted. His reputation of tormenting the servants was never overlooked. "I see." The hand on the boy's shoulder squeezed tighter. "Good. That was all I wanted to know. Please carry on."

Roxas nodded and slipped out of the room without another word. Axel just barely avoided being seen by him, but continued to follow back to his room. The blonde seemed confused to find him gone, but he shrugged lightly and went to his cleaning through the next door. Axel would come and find him when he needed something.

It only confused Axel more that he immediately attended to his duty. He did not take the opportunity to take anything, nor to disturb the room with traps of any kind. He merely bent over the floor and began cleaning, that sweet smile still plastered upon his face.

And with his confusion, Axel only felt more frustration and dislike.

"You!"

Roxas yelped, jumping away from where he'd been scrubbing the bathtub. He looked up at his master with wide eyes, but his smile returned quickly. "Oh, young master! You startled me!" Clasping a small hand over his breast, the boy heaved a sigh and stuttered, "I-Is there something you wanted, sir?"

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" Axel spat back, eyebrow raised, the same irritable glance he now reserved for the servant always.

The blonde looked faintly confused. "I'm cleaning the room, sir. Just like you told me to."

The older boy reached forward and took the soapy sponge out of his hand, throwing it on the ground. He then kicked the bucket over, spilling water all over the floor.

"Do it again."

Roxas looked up at him, shocked. His eyes didn't water, nor did he scream in frustration, but the boy's voice did shake ever so slightly as he asked, "D-Did I do something wrong, sir?"

That was good. He was afraid. No doubt, he understood that Axel could prove dangerous to his stay. That gave a flare of triumph in the young lord's face, though he dared not smile.

"Everything! It's all wrong! You are to keep doing it until you get it right!" Axel stomped over and pointed to a rather large speck of dirt underneath the sink. "Clean it all up! Properly!"

The voice was firmer now, but soft. Eyes lowered demurely, almost ashamedly. "I hadn't gotten to that one yet, sir. I'm sorry..."

Axel growled. "You're not to leave this room until it's done. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir. Right away, sir."

Axe smirked a little as he turned away. 'Let's see him get all THAT done as quickly as possible.'

Well, he'd succeeded in shaking that calm, happy little mood of his. Maybe there was some hope of upsetting him after all. But his father had said the boy wouldn't need to fear being thrown out. He'd have to fix that...

"Oh, and one more thing," he said, glancing back with his eyes as the boy raised his head curiously. "I never asked for you, and I still don't want you. You're a worthless, pathetic little worm. You don't belong here."

Not even waiting to see his reaction, the redhead left.

... ... ... ...

But the incident changed nothing. Almost as if it hadn't happened at all.

Roxas still smiled at him and addressed him politely. Nothing Axel did seemed to phase him longer than a few minutes, but no one could say he wasn't trying. He harassed the boy every possible opportunity, but still, he was met with a sickeningly sweet, "Yes sir." At that was that.

Axel heard the other servants whispering about them. They made it very clear that they didn't like him bothering the poor boy, and the redhead responded by upping his tactics. He even woke the boy up early one morning to make him tea, pouring a bucket full of icy cold water on him. The boy's jaw had tightened a little then, the closest Axel had seen to any display of anger, but nothing more. He started to suspect the servant had no emotion other than stomach-churning cheerfulness. Really, what was he so happy about? He was poor and completely at Axel's mercy. What did he have to smile about?

Axel was dead-set on making sure he had as little to smile about as possible.

"Do you see the way Master Axel yells at him? It's just wrong! That boy hasn't done a thing!"

"I agree, Yuffie. Poor Roxas," he heard Aerith whisper, a great deal more quietly than the younger servant had. "It's not my place to tell the lord, but I hate to see the boy abused like that. But he puts up with it..."

"Well, I certainly wouldn't!" Yuffie barked back. "Not even the Willshire's treat their servants like that!"

"Hush, dear. Master Axel is just in the other room. We mustn't provoke him."

"Like hell, I shouldn't!"

The redhead scoffed. All they were doing was making things worse. The more they opened their big mouths, the more torment he would heap on the servant. It wasn't even fun anymore; it was just starting to become tiring. Constantly trying to make him quit or get him in trouble. His father saw his attempts a mile away and only seemed to like the servant boy more for his perseverance.

He had other things he had to think about as well. The Lord Evenrode and his wife were to meet his father for supper that evening, and he had been instructed to be ready, bathed, dressed, to join them at 5 o'clock. As such, he summoned Roxas to his room to help him prepare, and once again, did little things to try and annoy him.

"The water is too hot! Cool it down!"

"Yes, sir."

"Stop pulling so hard!" he snapped, as Roxas lightly ran his hands through his wet hair.

"Sorry!"

He splashed water on the floor. "Clean that up."

"Yes, sir." Roxas bent to sop up the wet mark, when Axel snapped again.

"After you've finished, not now, you idiot!"

"O-Oh. Yes, young master."

Finally he allowed the boy to help him out of the tub, grumbling when the towel he was offered was too rough a material for him to use. Roxas scrambled to the closet to find another, to which Axel complained, "Will you hurry up? It's freezing!"

"Yes, sir! Right away!"

As Roxas moved to dress him, doing up the buttons on his shirt, Axel watched his blonde head bob up and down, as he addressed each garment with equal care. As odd as the boy was, Axel only found it odder that he didn't ever complain about Axel with the other servants. In fact, he defended him when the questions rose. No one else seemed to understand it, but Axel guessed it was because living at the manor made him feel worth something. He would endure because he could live in decent comfort, unlike the rest of those filthy street rats. Axel had asked his father where he had found the boy, and the man had told him he had grown up on the streets, not even in a home like other boys his age. Well, so what? He was not going to pity him. Especially not with this shameless display of bootlicking.

He hated people that were fake, but even more so if they did so because they wanted something. Axel never wanted to act that way.

"There you are, sir," Roxas said, still smiling that smile that made him want to punch him. "Do you need help with your hair?"

"No," he grumbled back, turning toward the mirror and grabbing his brush. "Not with the way you were tearing through it earlier. I'll take my chances."

The boy bowed, looking genuinely apologetic. "I'm sorry. Is there anything else you'd like me to do?"

Axel huffed. "You will join me at supper." He would be off to the side, though, not at the table. The servants ate in the kitchen together, but with important guests over, they were far too busy. They would eat later in the evening, outside if the summer night was tolerable. It being the dead of winter, however, that seemed unlikely.

The smile somehow brightened further. It was a childish delight, too cute and sweet to be real. "Thank you, sir." And with that, he was dismissed. Little did he know, Axel was coming up with a plan that was sure to test even his father's patience with the servant boy. The lord would not dismiss him for something trivial, but it was possible he could be forced into it. That was just what he was hoping for.

Axel was tired of the boy already; he had hope that his father would tire of him soon as well. Surely this would do it.

The Lord and Lady Evenrode arrived two hours early, as was custom, and they took tea in the parlor with Axel and his father at that time. Roxas sat near Axel, waiting to be called upon again, and Axel listened, bored, as his father's guest droned on about the most pointless things.

"So Lea, how goes your business in Yorkshire? I have heard the industry is suffering a bit of a downturn recently."

"The ladies at my salon mentioned that as well," Lady Evenrode said, sighing dramatically. "A pity that such things have to happen to the poor sector. They have enough troubles as it is."

Axel glanced sideways at his servant, but his face exposed nothing. He kept a small smile on his face throughout the whole exchange, ever quiet and respectful to his superiors.

"It's true," his father replied. "The bank is doing poorly, but I believe it's just a phase. I have more than enough support. It is a shame to see the sector falling on harder times."

The two agreed. The conversation turned to even more boring things like the weather, and Axel was just about out of his mind before his father finally suggested they move to the dining room. He had not been told to speak, so he hadn't, and instead focused on the boring speeches. It was maddening.

As the lady excused herself to the powder room, Axel motioned Roxas over while his father and the other lord spoke.

"Yes, sir?"

"I have a little present for Lady Evenrode." He dropped a dead frog into the boy's hand, resisting a smirk as his blue eyes grew wide. "Stick this in her purse."

The boy immediately shook his head. "Oh no, sir. I couldn't do that."

"And why not?" Axel asked, eyebrow raised just so. "Are you disobeying me?"

Roxas looked troubled at that. Axel began to wonder if he would really do it. He had no plan to punish the boy should he choose not to, but he wasn't going to hesitate in making him feel bad now, as he tried to refuse. Most servants would have just smacked him already, but this one was young and, as Axel knew, exceedingly stupid. He knew what kind of trouble this would cause, but he was still considering it anyway, just because Axel said so. Now wasn't that shameful?

Finally, he seemed to decide something.

"No, sir. I'll do it."

Axel smiled at him, the first time he'd ever smiled at the boy since he arrived. "Thank you."

Roxas blinked, clearly taken aback by that. Then, he smiled. It was weak, but it made Axel's insides churn in a different way. The boy...it was as if he trusted that Axel knew what he was doing. Was he really...?

The blonde walked over to the discarded purse and reached down, about the place the animal inside when-

"You there, boy! What do you think you're doing, going through my things?"

Roxas looked up, caught right in the act. His father and the lord looked over curiously as well, and Axel had to hide a chuckle. The look on the boy's stupid face wa perfect! Priceless!

The lady strode over and grasped hold of his wrist, pulling it out of the purse.

"Away with you, stupid boy, before I have you- OH MY GOOOOODDDDD!"

The woman wailed when she saw the dead frog held so innocently in the servant boy's hand. She flailed her arms and screamed, and the lord moved to catch her as she fell back in a dead faint. The man tended to his wife as Axel's father stormed over, grabbing the blonde roughly. Most people would say that his father was a patient, kind man, but certain social situations required an angry response, and this was one of them.

"Roxas, what have you done?" he snapped, shaking the boy slightly. The Lord Evenrode looked up from the floor at them, enraged.

"Just what is going on here, Lea? What kind of servants would you hire, that see fit to harass a poor woman? My wife has gone cold!"

Axel wanted to take this chance to slip away, find something else to do, but he watched the exchange with mild sinking feeling in his gut. This...watching this was different than how he had pictured it, somehow. He thought it would feel funnier, but the genuine anger on both men's faces and the genuine terror on the servant boy's face somehow made it less amusing. His pranks had never been appreciated before, so that was something he was used to, but it had usually been him that got in trouble for them.

"Why did you do it, boy?" His father snapped, harsh as necessity demanded. There was something even a little scary about his father when he was very angry. Because he seemed so calm much of the time, it was a little unnerving, even scary to Axel. This was not the angriest he had ever been, but any such swing of his mood could almost make the hairs on the back of the boy's head stand on end.

It looked terrifying to Roxas, who only stuttered and remained frozen. Saying that Axel told him to was not a good excuse, but he expected Roxas to at least say something incriminating of Axel. But the boy did not.

"Well, what are you going to do about it?" the other man demanded, lifting his wife to the couch, then proceeding to draw out her fan and fan her.

All Roxas could manage to stutter was, "I-I'm sorry, sir. Very sorry. Sorry." It was quiet, resolved, as though he knew he was in for trouble no matter what he said. But every apology was desperate, truly begging for forgiveness. And the younger redhead could feel the pleas pulling at his heart-strings.

A part of him argued that it wasn't his fault. Not really. Roxas had chosen to act of his own accord. He hadn't pushed him to do it, and yet...

Axel saw his father heave a sigh, his forehead creased with lines of frustration and exhaustion.

"It leaves me no choice. Excuse me for a minute, if you please," he offered the other lord, gripping the thin wrist tightly as he pulled Roxas out of the room.

Axel knew what was coming now. He had seen others do it before, but rarely had his father ever been forced to do it. Few servants had ever pushed him so far before. But if nothing else, he must do it to appease his guest. Such an affront, if left alone, could cause political and social strife between the families, even if his father had whole-heartedly apologized. Action had to be taken, because it spoke louder and more powerfully than any words.

He ran outside to the backyard, only to find several of the servants gathering and whispering worriedly, watching from behind the shed as Axel's father tied the blonde's wrist tightly above his head, to the branch of a tree.

"Did you hear? Roxas insulted the Lady Evenrode!"

"I don't believe it," Aerith said. "That sweet boy wouldn't dream of hurting anyone."

"But it's true!" Another servant urged. "And now the lord must punish him!"

"I bet Axel put him up to it..." Someone else grumbled. Axel narrowed his eyes from where he stood behind them.

"It matters not. The boy was foolish to obey him, if indeed it was so. Now he will fall out of favor with the lord, just like old Miria did. We all remember what became of her..."

Axel turned his attention back to his father. Roxas was facing the tree, head lowered in shame, shirt torn from his pale back to expose the skin. With a sigh, Axel's father picked up something from the ground beside his feet, a sjambok, if Axel's eyes were not mistaken.

"You have left me no other option, Roxas." He raised the device in one hand, and brought it down with a hard slap. Roxas whimpered as the whip met his skin, instantly leaving an angry red mark upon his back. All the servants winced. "I cannot hold back. You must only hope that this will appease them."

He brought down the whip hard, again and again. And every time, the boy would whimper or cry, the sounds muffled poorly by his teeth as he bit his lip. Axel couldn't see his face, but he had a feeling the boy was crying. Every sound stabbed into his heart sharply, almost as if he could feel the pain himself. Somehow, that made him feel terrible all of the sudden. This...really wasn't funny anymore. He wanted the boy gone, not beaten. How could he have not seen this more clearly before?

Roxas didn't cry for mercy. He took every lash and its sting with remarkable silence; never screaming, never raising his voice above a soft sob. He handled the pain well, better than Axel imagined he himself could tolerate. What sort of pain had he known before, to hold in his suffering in such a beating? And he still had spoken no ill words about his master...

"This hurts me more than it hurts you, Roxas." That was all the comfort Axel's father offered, as he continued, raising the whip again and again. Ten strokes, eleven strokes, Axel began to lose count after a while, feeling the color draining almost completely from his face. There were many red marks now, marring the pale skin, and some had even begun to bleed, running in little rivers down that small, skinny back. Axel almost didn't hear the Lord Evenrode come up beside him, giving a satisfied hum.

The servants seemed to notice his presence then, and scrambled away, claiming to return to their other chores. They muttered as they left, however, eyes darting from the scene to Axel and back again. And for once, the young lord felt guilty, terrible even, as he met their eyes, if he could meet them...

Axel's father turned to him, pausing with the whip once more. He waited for sign from the man that this would be enough. Even Axel looked up to him, at a loss for reading that guarded expression. After a moment of silence, the man nodded, satisfied.

His father heaved a sigh and bade both Axel and him to go back inside, as he turned back to the servant boy. But even after that, Axel did not follow the man who gestured to him kindly. He couldn't bare to leave now. Letting the man return to the house, he hid behind the shed, still watching, as his father reached up to untie the boy. The skin of his wrists was not too red once the belt was undone; the one kindness his father had offered the boy in light of this beating, and once free, Roxas fell to his knees on the ground, silent, head bowed low. The night was quiet now, aside from the crickets, frogs, and the soft, broken whimpers...

The man looked down at the pitiful child only briefly, his eyes betraying his own guilt only slightly. He then turned away, sighing. "We will speak later. For now, go clean yourself up, and stay out of sight for the rest of the evening."

Axel listened as his father's footsteps trailed away, back to the house. He knew he should go back, was obligated to go back, but somehow, just leaving the boy here seemed like a bad idea. Though Roxas was probably eager to leave now, and his contract would definitely come in question. But the way he just...sat there, silently, his back open and bleeding, almost quiet in the night...It made the young lord feel like a terrible human being.

Slowly, careful, he walked to the boy's side, and looked down at him. He heard the quiet whimpers, and if he leaned down to the side enough, he could see the tears, wet and glistening as they ran from red eyes, down that small, pale face. He could see the trembling, the misery etched into every move the boy made, small as it might be. He knelt beside the little servant and reached out a tender hand, feeling a painful twist in his gut when the blonde shied away from him, covering his eyes, as though he thought that would make his sorrow invisible. Whether he was angry or merely frightened, his master could not tell.

Axel sighed. "Why did you do it?"

The blonde turned a little more his way, parting his fingers a little to give the young lord a curious look. Axel still wanted to smack him, just a little. He was still a thoroughly stupid boy. "Don't look at me like that. Just tell me why."

The voice that answered him was a bit hoarse, but surprisingly steady considering. "You asked me to."

"That's not a good enough reason, you twit!" This time, Axel smacked himself. "You knew i was trying to get you in trouble! Don't lie! You knew it, but you still did it anyway! Why are you trying so hard? What is it I have that you could possibly want?"

Roxas rubbed his eye a moment, then he reached toward Axel with both hands, quicker than he had seen.

The redhead's breath caught when he felt rough, calloused little hands touch his cheeks. They paused for a moment, and Axel felt his face heating up something awful. What was he doing?

Then, one finger each trailed to the corners of his mouth and tugged upward. Axel quickly shoved his hands away. "What was that for?"

Roxas gave a sad smile, as he turned away again. "That. Do more of that."

"Excuse me?"

When the boy didn't elaborate, Axel felt his temper rising. Everything irritated him when it came to this confusing, idiotic servant boy. He had wanted so bad to just knock him down a peg, show him the world wasn't always kind, a place where you could always smile. In a way, he had shown him than tonight. But now he felt more guilt than satisfaction.

"I wanted you to...to smile more, sir."

Axel was taken aback for only a second. He scowled. "Why would you want that?"

A small sigh came as the boy shifted, hissing when he stretched his battered back. Roxas then sat back and pulled his knees to his chest, a nervous blush tinting his cheeks.

"You look better when you smile. It's cute."

The older boy spluttered indignantly at that, feeling his own cheeks turning pink. "Cute! It's not cute! And why would you care anyway? A silly little thing like smiling! It's not important!"

"Oh, it is!" The blonde turned with inhuman speed and leaned toward him, holding his shoulders tightly. His eyes seemed urgent on this subject. "Smiling can make anything better! If nobody smiled, then...then there'd be no point in living!"

Axel pushed him away, rubbing at his own cheek as if that could take the blush off. "But what do YOU have to smile about? You have no parents, no money, no life of your own! All you get to look forward to is looking after a worthless brat like me!"

Roxas looked up, a bit startled. Axel shook his head at the confused expression. "I've got nothing to smile about. No body likes me, not even my own father. No one has time for me at all, and even if they did, the last thing they would love is to spend it with me." His own words seemed to depress him, as all the anger and frustration at his servant came out in the rant, leaving him feeling empty, lonely. He sighed. "Smiling is stupid. Why should I hide how I really feel? Just because others don't want to see it?"

The blonde said nothing. Axel drummed his fingers lightly on the grass. "I'm sick of people pretending. I wish they would just come out and say it, that they don't like me. But no. No one has the courage to be honest with me."

Axel felt hands on his face again, and he was tempted to shove them off. But as he looked up to Roxas again, the boy's expression made him pause. It was kind, and smiling. That was nothing new. But now it was...different somehow. Melted came to mind; caring, as if to say he had listened to every word and taken it to heart, but not in the way Axel had expected him to. Those clear, caring blue eyes made him freeze, unable to back away or shove the boy away.

"But I do like you."

The words almost didn't register on his brain. He blinked. "What? W-Why?" He'd only ever been cold to the boy. He wasn't seriously saying...

Roxas chuckled softly. "I knew from the first minute I saw you. You're the same as me."

Axel growled at that, finally grabbing those thin wrists and throwing them off again. "We're not the same! The audacity! You're a filthy street brat! A servant! How could you possibly dare to compare yourself to me?"

"That's not what I mean," the boy said firmly, moving in close again. Axel blushed as he realized their faces were only inches apart, his anger subsiding in exchange for mild embarrassment. Piercing blue eyes caught his like a trap, as they seemed to search his very soul. "You've been hurting too. Maybe even longer than I have. But I knew when I saw you. I could see how lonely you were."

The redhead wasn't sure whether to be offended or not. But Roxas didn't pause for long.

"I know how it feels, Axel, I really do. You're right. My parents are dead, and I don't have any money." Axel blinked, realizing that the boy's tone had become very lonely. Worse than his own before. "But that wasn't ever important to me. I barely knew my parents. I grew up on the streets with no one, just my friend, who was as helpless and scared as I was. He was like my brother, and I thought that as long as we were together, we'd be okay. When he got sick, I wanted to hate the world and everyone in it. Especially the upper class people like you, who didn't give a damn about the rest of us. Who couldn't be bothered to help, because we were dirty and worthless."

Axel blinked at the bitter words. In all this time, he had never imagine that such things could come from the sweet little servant boy. He felt guilty that he had been thinking all this before, as he must have been feeding the feelings Roxas harbored toward the upper class. He had only proved himself more inhuman, in his own mind...

"He died not long after that, but he made me promise to keep smiling. I had to smile for him, so he could enjoy everything in life that he couldn't have. I did it for him mostly, at first, but I learned that I just felt better when I smiled. I tried to look at the good things in life, instead of always the bad. And then I was offered a great chance; a chance to understand, maybe even taste of little of what you taste every day." His expression changed to that of a sad smile once more. Looking at Axel seriously, he said, "Axel, you have a good home and plenty to keep you alive and well. You're father really does care about you."

The redhead huffed, looking away. "No he doesn't."

"Yes, he does!" Roxas pulled his head back, holding it there to keep his attention. He pressed his forehead against the other boy's, smiling again. "You have so much, Axel. You should appreciate it. Tell your father how you feel. Stop trying to get his attention by being a brat. I don't think that's really who you are."

Another grumble. "How would you know?"

"Because I've watched you. You didn't think I could see it, but I could. I know you were jealous of me, because your father liked me."

Axel blinked. Maybe...that was true. Roxas was the youngest servant who had ever been taken into his household. Even if other servants were well-liked by his father, he never felt threatened by them. Huh. Maybe...maybe this boy had a point...

"He still likes you, you know," Axel said quietly, finally daring to meet his eyes again. Roxas shook his head.

"I'm nothing to him. Just a nobody he found on the streets. I was so happy when he took me in; I finally had a purpose again. But now..." The boy's voice trailed off, and he looked close to tears again. "Now, I guess I'll have to find s-something else..."

Feeling his own heart break with guilt, Axel threw himself forward and grabbed the servant boy, pulling him close. Careful of the wounds on his back, he slid his hands to Roxas's waist and wrapped around, embracing and soothing him as he began to cry. Finally he had broken that smile, that kind, knowing, irritating smile, and now he regretted it more than anything he'd ever done in his life. The first person to see through him, to truly understand, he had tried to drive away. And he'd succeeded.

"He g-gave me a home," the boy sobbed heavily into his shirt. "He was s-so kind to me, but I...I m-made him angry. H-He'll never want me n-now."

Tears were in his own eyes now. "I'm sorry, Roxas. So, so sorry."

The blonde sniffled against his chest, them raised his head to look at his master in awe.

"T-That was the first time...you said my name."

Axel blinked, then rubbed his eye, offering a weak smile. This didn't have to be the end. There was always a chance that his father would come around. He liked the boy enough before, enough to bring him here immediately, with no prior training.

Axel knew at once that he had to do something. Somehow, he was going to make this right.

"Yeah. I guess it was."

... ... ...

After supper was over, Axel trudged back to his father's study, only to find him sorting through papers. The man looked up at his intrusion, heaving a heavy sigh.

"The lady missed you at supper." Then, to himself, he said, "Tonight has been one big disaster. I hardly know what to do."

The young redhead stepped forward, choosing not to greet him nor mince words. "What have you decided?"

His father leveled a strong glance at him. "Are you really so insistent that I must get rid of the boy?"

"No!"

His father looked very surprised at that, blinking a couple of times. Axel continued.

"Father, it was I who put him up to that prank. If you are going to punish anyone, choose me. Don't tear up his contract," he begged, feeling emotion seeping into his voice against his will. "Please don't force him to leave."

Axel saw his father stand, still looking taken aback. He had never heard his son ever repent his actions, nor stand up for a servant he so clearly disliked. He had not been fooled by the blonde's words, Axel knew; he had always known his son was going out of his way to make the servant miserable. He'd seen it before, but never so harsh. This was certainly odd, but somehow it seemed right. To both of them.

The man seemed to narrow his gaze over Axel's shoulder a minute, before sighing. "Aerith, please bring Roxas in. I know you're out there."

The door to his study, which had been left open by a crack, creaked heavily. In stepped Aerith, her hand on Roxas's shoulder, tears just barely contained in the boy's eyes. He had put his shirt back on, and now he stood, gripping the hem and twisting it nervously in shaking little hands. Axel felt bad for the poor boy, but he knew that his father's decision was to be respected. He waited, looking more patient than he actually was, as his father looked between them and thought.

Finally, he bade the maid to leave. As the door closed, a soft smile crossed his face, free and open before both children. "Roxas, come here." He opened his arms to the boy, who choked on a sob.

In an instant, Roxas ran to him, letting himself be closed in comforting arms and held. Normally, Axel's father would not be so informal with a servant, though he did like a good many of them. But Roxas was still a child, and Axel understood, perhaps better than anyone, that sometimes you just needed to feel loved. Roxas had been alone, without his friend or his parents for so long. But he had been given a chance, and a new family. Now that he knew, Axel would do his best to make sure he never suffered like that again.

The voice was firm, but not harsh, as the man continued to comfort the sobbing boy. "I won't throw you out, Roxas. Did I not promise that you would never lose your place here?"

"I-I know," the boy said shakily, looking up through heavy tears. "But I thought-"

Axel's father shook his head, brushing a hand through his soft blonde curls gently. "What you did was foolish, but I explained to the lord and lady as best I could. They are both kind people. They would not be the ones to make me get rid of you."

Roxas wept tears of true gratefulness and love that night, and Axel felt himself smiling again, genuinely, for the first time in some time. He hadn't known that a little kindness here and there was much more powerful than his pranks. But now, as his father looked up at him, his smile was warm and approving. He knew that he had done a good thing, and seeing Roxas smile again made the guilt in his gut dissolve away. He hadn't known he could miss that smile, that had once annoyed him to no end. But there it was.

He had found something precious that night, and with it came a new start. A rebirth. For the cost of several small, kind gestures, Roxas remained his servant, and the lord remained his father, but he had gained something so much more in them than that. He knew he was loved, and loved in return.

... ... ...

"Roxas, fetch me a blanket."

The blonde paused, raising an eyebrow as he stopped in front of his master's chair. "Young master, we've been through this again and again. What do you say?"

The redhead looked up from his book, letting his eyes roll. "'Please.'"

The servant boy smiled wider. "Thank you," he sang, turning to go get the requested item from the closet. Axel watched him go with a small, playful smirk. Being friends with the boy had its perks, he had to admit. He no longer tormented him, as he once had, but he could still enjoy ordering him around for silly little things. "Family" or not, Roxas still forgot him place now and again, and Axel was happy to remind him. Propriety had its place, after all...

His father often said they both still had a lot to learn. But with many years spent with the boy waiting on the horizon, there was plenty of time. And Axel was enjoying his life more now, knowing he wasn't alone.


End file.
